Chaperone Use During Plastic Surgery Physical Examinations

Abstract

Background: Medical chaperones often play an important role during physical examinations, providing patient comfort and serving as medicolegal witness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare practices regarding chaperone use by plastic surgery attendings and trainees. Methods: Avoluntary survey was distributed to members of the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons. The survey included a standardized set of questions regarding physician demographics, nature of practice training, and current practices pertaining to chaperone use. Data were analyzed in a descriptive fashion. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of chaperone use. Results: We received 167 responses, of which 107 (64.1%) were attendings and 60 (35.9%) were trainees. In total, 78.3% of the respondents were male and 21.7% were female. Routine use of chaperones was reported at 58.6%. Compared with plastic surgery trainees, attending surgeons were 12.8 times more likely to use a chaperone during sensitive examinations ( P < 0.001). In addition, male respondents were 6.43 times more likely than their female counterparts to involve a chaperone during sensitive examinations ( P < 0.001). Forty-eight percent of the trainees acknowledged receiving education regarding chaperone use, and this cohort was 7 times more likely to use a chaperone when compared with trainees who had not received chaperone instruction ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlights the wide variability of chaperone use among plastic surgery attendings and trainees. Integration and standardization of chaperone education within plastic surgery training may be an effective technique to promote this practice and lead to improved patient-provider clinical experiences.

Perception of Patients, Physicians, and Chaperones Regarding the Use of Chaperones During Patient Examinations for Plastic Surgery: A Systematic Review

“…These studies comprised 997 medical professionals, 465 patients, and other participants involved in chaperone documentation. Three studies were conducted in the United Kingdom (Molajo et al, 2011(Molajo et al, , 2012Touil et al, 2019) and four studies were conducted in the United States (Choudry et al, 2013;Cuccolo et al, 2019Cuccolo et al, , 2022Vakayil et al, 2019). As shown in Table 2, we considered Plastic and Aesthetic Nursing www.PANjournal.org three studies as low risk of bias (Choudry et al, 2013;Cuccolo et al, 2022;Vakayil et al, 2019) and four studies as high risk of bias (Cuccolo et al, 2019;Molajo et al, 2011Molajo et al, , 2012Touil et al, 2019).…”

The Doctor Will “See” You Now – Unmet Expectations of Telemedicine in Plastic Surgery

“…According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 92% of all patients undergoing plastic surgery are female, yet the ratio of female to male plastic surgeons is 1:5 24,25 . It is, therefore, recommended that a same-sex chaperone is present during a sensitive examination to ensure the patient's safety and comfort 26 . However, Choudry et al 27 found that only 30% of plastic surgeons reported “always” using chaperones, and the percentage increased to 60% when examining more sensitive areas and a higher rate of male plastic surgeons reported using chaperones.…”

“…Another study by Sharma et al 28 reported 68% of patients felt more at ease with the use of a chaperone. Overall, patients preferred to have a same-sex chaperone present, especially during sensitive examinations 26 . Same recommendation should be applied to telemedicine visits.…”

“…24,25 It is, therefore, recommended that a same-sex chaperone is present during a sensitive examination to ensure the patient's safety and comfort. 26 However, Choudry et al 27 found that only 30% of plastic surgeons reported ''always'' using chaperones, and the percentage increased to 60% when examining more sensitive areas and a higher rate of male plastic surgeons reported using chaperones. Another study by Sharma et al 28 reported 68% of patients felt more at ease with the use of a chaperone.…”

“…Overall, patients preferred to have a same-sex chaperone present, especially during sensitive examinations. 26 Same recommendation should be applied to telemedicine visits. However, there is a lack of clear guidelines regarding which procedures can be conducted virtually and which must be done in-person.…”